By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
An extremist Antifa leader who is on France’s national security watchlist has been elected to the National Assembly as a member of the New Popular Front leftist bloc.
The official spokesman of the Lyon Antifa collective “Jeune Garde Antifasciste (Young Antifascist Guard) in Lyon, Raphaël Arnault, will represent the first constituency of Vaucluse in Provence in the French parliament after defeating populist National Rally candidate Catherine Jaouen with 54.98 percent of the vote in Sunday’s second round of legislative elections, Le Figaro reports.
Arnault’s candidacy, backed by far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise (LFI) party — a member of the New Popular Front alliance — has been controversial due to his “S-file” status, indicating he is on the French government’s national security watchlist. The list generally includes individuals considered threats to state security, such as terrorists, violent environmentalists, or members of extremist political groups, like Antifa.
Despite his watchlist status, Arnault faces no restrictions entering the National Assembly, as an “S-file” does not equate to a criminal conviction or necessarily state surveillance.
The Young Antifascist Guard, Arnault’s group, has been involved in a controversial incident on the Paris subway in May, where a 15-year-old claimed to have been assaulted for being a “supposed jew” and a “zionist.” The group denied the violence, stating it was a “brief altercation” with members of “an anti-Palestinian far-right” group. However, eight members of the group were indicted on June 27th for alleged violence against a subway passenger, according to Le Figaro.
Arnault has also been accused of a “violent attack” by a young right-wing activist, who alleged that Arnault and another member of the Young Antifascist Guard “beat” him with a helmet. Additionally, Arnault was questioned by police for allegedly defending terrorism after reportedly describing Hamas as a “resistance” movement following the October 7th terror attacks on Israel.
The election of Arnault to the National Assembly raises significant concerns about the influence of extremist ideologies within French politics and the potential implications for national security.